


Once

by miss_aligned



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mass Effect 2, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 06:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7211138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_aligned/pseuds/miss_aligned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a sweet, tumultuous, heartbreaking ride for a couple separated by duty, death, and distance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once

Once upon a time, he’d been in love.

She was a beautiful, strong woman whose ambition and compassion made him smile and inspired him to be a better man. Her resolve, despite the circumstances, was an inspiration. He’d fallen fast and he’d fallen hard for her, and for a short while, he felt complete.

But then she died as he’d watched, helpless to do anything about it. He heard her gasping, perhaps as she was trying to call out to him. He felt a piece of him die with her and things were never the same.

It had taken a long time to move on without her, wallowing in regret and pain in the aftermath of her passing. He struggled, but ultimately pushed forward, knowing that it was what she would have wanted him to do. He worked hard and excelled, trying to fill the void she’d left in the galaxy as best he could.

Once more, she turned his world upside-down. He’d heard the rumors, but it was quite another sensation entirely when she’d appeared in front of him, looking very similar to the way she had years before. Not quite the same. He desperately tried to piece together some valid reasoning for her reappearance, for her desertion during his heartbreak, for her sudden shift into enmity, but none of it made sense. He did what he had to do and said what he had to say to protect what was left of his heart.

Once upon a time, she’d been in love.

He was a loyal, intelligent man whose smile made her weak in the knees. His gentle heart hidden away under the intimidating veneer of a handsome, highly-trained soldier was everything she never realized she’d wanted or needed. She’d fallen fast and she’d fallen hard for him, and for a short while, she felt complete.

But then she’d died after she sent him off to safety, realizing her mistake a moment too late. While she didn’t regret doing her duty, she immediately regretted leaving him alone and inevitably breaking his heart. She tried to tell him so with the few seconds she had left, but words and oxygen had failed her.

What felt like moments later, she was inexplicably back on her feet again and working. She had assignments to complete, but did whatever she could to find him. It wasn’t until she unknowingly stumbled into him that she realized just how much she’d missed him, and just how much things had changed. Once more, he turned her world upside-down.

Time -ages for him, seconds for her- had not done either of them any favors.

Pain tore at him as soon as he turned his back and walked away. His words had been filled with heat and venom, and the look on her face made him realize that it hadn’t been necessary. Her heart had been as exposed as his was. He knew that he couldn’t take it all back, though, skeptical of the situation and wary of her new affiliations as he was. He didn’t want to fall prey to a beautiful imposter. He wouldn’t allow her to take and break his heart again. But he wanted to.

Pain tore at her as soon as angry words tumbled from his lips. While she didn’t expect him to be thrilled about the situation forced upon her, she’d hoped that he’d be happy to see her alive. He seemed both alarmed and defensive, but she wasn’t given the opportunity to properly explain the answers to the unspoken questions clearly written on his face. She hadn’t been prepared for him to take and break her heart like that. But he was welcome to.

Once upon a time they’d been in love. Then it all fell apart. As they each threw themselves into their work to try and forget about the other, both realized that they never would. The endless miles of space that separated them had nothing on the wide expanse of time, the sense of duty, and the pain of heartbreak.

Days, weeks, and months went by and each still thought of the other. Both intended to see that the other lived a long, happy life. They watched, waited, listened, hoping to find small updates on one another’s progress to soothe their worries even if only a little. Those were dark times with many enemies, but they still thought of one another in the midst of the chaos.

Once upon a time they’d been in love. It was only a matter of time before they realized that they still were.


End file.
